Re: Startup script

["Pete Peterson" <petersonp genrad com>]

> From redhat-install-list-admin redhat com  Wed Mar 28 00:02:07 2001
> Delivered-To: redhat-install-list listman redhat com
> From: "Jonas Fornander" <jonas netwood net>
> To: <redhat-install-list redhat com>
> Subject: Startup script
> Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 21:02:47 -0800
> 
> I'm not that familiar with  Linux so excuse the novice question.
> 
> I need to have a startup script in my box (like autoexec.bat I assume) to
> limit the file size of email messages. This is for a list server. If I
> create a file with this suggested command:
> echo 16384 > /proc/sys/fs/file-max

This is a BAD SUGGESTION and will not do what you want!  If you execute
that command it will put "16384" in the 'file' /proc/sys/fs/file-max.
That isn't REALLY a file, it is really a hook into the kernel, so what
the command does is increase the NUMBER of concurrently open files
from the default 4096 to 16384; it DOES NOT affect the allowable file size.

Linux has LOTS of startup files and at some point you should take the time
to understand "runlevels" and how the startup of services is handled, but
probably the closest approximation to autoexec.bat is /etc/rc.d/rc.local.

> What should I name the file and where should I put it?

See above...

> Thanks in advance for any assistance.

If you're trying to limit the size of INCOMING messages, you need to do
that, not in kernel parameters, but in the mail handling system.  Note
that you DON'T want to limit file sizes in general, but just mail message
size.  If you want to limit the size of ALL mail messages and reject ones
that are too large, that's fairly easy, you can either put this line in the
sendmail.cf file and restart sendmail (replace 50000 with desired max):
----
O MaxMessageSize=50000
----
Or, if you make your own sendmail.cf from the .mc files, put
----
define(`confMAX_MESSAGE_SIZE',50000)
----
in the .mc file, regenerate the config file, and copy it to /etc/sendmail.cf.

If you want to limit ONLY the size of messages to the list, you could
configure procmail (the delivery agent) to reject long messages addressed
to the mailinglist.  You could probably also do it with the list software
(it would accept the longer message and truncate or reject it).  Unless
you're expecting people to send you multi-gigabyte files, it's probably
best to let the list software handle this if it supports that function.

> Jonas Fornander - System Administrator
> Netwood Communications, LLC - www.netwood.net
> Find out why we're better - 310-442-1530



        pete peterson
        GenRad, Inc.
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